Natasha Hunt Lee‘s songs are like a handwritten diary in that they include all of her innermost thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The Los Angeles-based musician candidly discusses the highs and lows of love relationships and the difficulties and rewards of coming of age in her ever-so-relatable songs.
In October, Natasha debuted her very first single “Fancy Night,” a record about the disarming beauty of having all of your loved ones together in one place. She followed it with the stunning record and accompanying music video “It’s Hell In Here Tonight,” which further brings us into the mind of a burgeoning pop star in the making as she lounges around the pool before she faces the realities of her thoughts. Fast forward to 2022, Natasha brought in the new year with the April release of “New Things”—photographer and frequent collaborator Callum Walker Hutchinson returns with another remarkable cover art. Her fourth record, “Bad Mood,” sees the songstress collaborating with Sophie Cates for a phenomenal pop anthem.
All roads lead to Natasha Hunt Lee’s debut project, The End of the World, released on September 2nd. It serves as a compilation of songs that the singer has worked on over the past several years, giving fans alike an introspective look into her life and all of the emotions and experiences enveloped within it. “The project is very much like a timepiece for me, especially now that it’s been some time since I wrote it,” she shares. “It feels very much like the like light switch to the beginning of my real adult life.”
Naturally, the musician’s career parallels fashion and beauty on a regular basis. Natasha uses both mediums as a vehicle for self-expression, using them to seamlessly reflect the themes of her music. For her, the process of maintaining her appearance is more important than the final product. Through embracing the journey of finding the perfect glam, Lee welcomes a new chapter in not only her artistry but womanhood as well.
We caught up with Natasha Hunt Lee a few days before the release of The End of the World to discuss the hero products in her skincare routine, how style empowers her artistry, as well as her debut project among other topics. Continue scrolling to read our conversation.
Tell me about your relationship with music, what made you want to go down the unconventional pathway of being an artist?
I grew up in LA and my parents had been in entertainment. My dad would throw these schmoozey parties when I was younger. He would always have one of his friends start playing piano, and there would come a point in the night when they’d start “Your Song” by Elton John. There’s a version from Moulin Rouge we’d always play in the car together and it became my little solo at the party. So that’s really how it started. Then, I stopped for a few years because I wasn’t doing it for me.
When I was around 13 or 14, my best friend came over and was like, “I learned how to play ‘Someone Like You,’ the Adele song. She played it and I was just like “fuck.” So then I started playing piano again, and then that’s when I started writing songs. From there, I just remember saying to my parents, “I want to make an album. I want to do this.” They were like, “Alright, Natasha,” which made me that much more serious about it.
Let’s talk about your day-to-day regimen, what is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning, beauty-wise?
I wake up in a haze. I’m a night person, so in the morning, I’m trying to simplify everything possible. Always sunscreen. But before that, I use a Vitamin C serum and then a caffeine eye cream from 100% pure. At night, is when I’m really doing a bunch of stuff.
Tell me about your routine at night, how does it differ from what you do in the mornings?
At night, I do two face washes. I’ve been told that’s really good for your skin. Also, in college, I had really bad psoriasis, which made me appreciate taking care of my skin that much more. It’s an autoimmune disease and I looked like a biblical leper when it was bad. It really showed me how much my confidence was linked to my skin, face, and body. Now, I prioritize it even more. Like, I am absolutely washing my face at the end of the night regardless of what state I’m in. It’s worth it.
So two cleansers: the first one is oil-based and then the second is water-based. I have this toner that kind of smells like onions kind and it’s by this brand called Biologique Recherche. It’s one of the fancier things I use. But when I run out of it, I can see a difference. Then serums, then moisturizer. That’s the order… I think.
In what ways does style empower you, and do you recognize a connection between fashion and beauty when it comes to who you are as an individual?
I think that when it comes to artists, there’s a lot more than just music being that’s consumed. Obviously, a song being good is the first step. But, if somebody is really invested in your artist project, they’re also interested in your aesthetic and attitude and energy too. I think people want to trust an artist holistically, so I try to dress in a way that feels eclectic and authentic and consistent with everything I’m doing and the art I’m making.
I think what I’m saying is: style just has to feel sincere and comfortable to the wearer, whatever the clothing may be, to work. So that’s what I strive for myself.
Has anyone ever given you good beauty advice that you’ve taken to heart?
That’s a really good question. My parents would always say to me: “The days that you don’t feel great, you have to psych yourself into being like, ‘I’m the most attractive person in this room.’” It’s an emotional, energetic thing. People respond to that, whether it’s friends, professional, or romantic.
So, I think what’s so important about beauty and wellness is that you figure out a way to accentuate and support yourself. So that when you walk out of your apartment or house or whatever, you’re like, ‘I look good and I feel good and I’m gonna try to hold that with me and walk a little higher because of it,’ and then hopefully, you subsequently create better energy around yourself.
Beauty is so much deeper than what products you put on your skin. It doesn’t matter how expensive the serums or foundation you use are, it doesn’t stop you from feeling unattractive internally.
All the way. Speaking for myself and for a lot of my beautiful friends… body dysmorphia and even face dysmorphia is so real. You look in the mirror sometimes and it’s like, “What the fuck is that?” Nothing changed from four days ago, nothing even changed from two weeks ago. I do think that in those moments, the things that you do for yourself, and the things that you do to take care of yourself are extra important.
Did you experience a lot of body dysmorphia growing up or even more recently?
For sure. I’ve never seen anything different. I have parents who have been in LA for 30-40 years and they’re super beautiful. It’s inherently part of the culture I was raised in. So I’ve tried to not make that a part of my identity. Because it’s exhausting. Since I was a kid I’ve always tried to find pride in telling myself, ‘I can eat what I want, I can do what I want.’ But of course, if I’m having a shitty mental health day, I’ll still look at the mirror and have no concept of what I look like objectively.
On that note, are youn big on scents and perfumes?
I love them. And, I love them on other people too. When I run into somebody, I don’t care if I just met them or if I’ve known them for like three years, if they have a good scent on, I’m letting them know.
Right now, I’m wearing this BYREDO perfume called “Mixed Emotions.” It’s vintage-y and gender-neutral. It kind of smells like a bookcase to me.
Bringing things to a close, your debut project The End of the World is coming out on September 2nd—what can you tell us about this project and what it means to you as an artist?
Totally! The project is very much like a timepiece for me, especially now that it’s been some time since I wrote it. There was this big bang-like time for me in the middle of COVID. That’s what it’s about. My very long-term relationship had just ended, which is how I landed on ‘The End of the World.’ It felt like the end of my world as it had been.
In all that, I met all these new people. They were all so beautiful, welcoming, and exciting to me. And then, for the first time, too— I don’t even know if I can talk about this, haha— but, I felt comfortable fully letting go. In college, I was really neurotic and anxious. So, in the midst of everything, I was finally in a place in my life where I felt safe enough to be like, “Yeah, I want to trip on shrooms and I kinda want to do that a lot.”And I started having these moments, these physical visions of my worries being pushed away, or like waves of overwhelming gratitude that would make me sob at a party.
So an influx of all these new people who are kind of changing my life emotionally, my own trust in myself, all these new experiences, and on top of it was the first time I was a single adult. And, I was living in a house with five of my closest friends. We started having these hilarious themed parties. In the middle of that too, I got super confused over my feelings for someone. All of those things went into this project. It feels very much like the like light switch to the beginning of my real adult life. Ironically, I got way closer to myself in the wake of so much change and losing my mind over somebody else.
So as much as I feel that I’ve departed from that time, it’s so special to me. And I know for the rest of my life, it’ll stay special to me.
